SwiftUI ScrollViewReader: Programmatic Scroll Control Made Simple

This pattern uses a separate state variable to trigger scroll actions and wraps the scrollTo call in withAnimation for smooth transitions. The state is reset after scrolling to prevent unintended repeated scrolling.

struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var scrollTarget: Int?
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Button("Scroll to Item 50") {
                withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.8)) {
                    scrollTarget = 50
                }
            }
            
            ScrollViewReader { proxy in
                ScrollView {
                    LazyVStack {
                        ForEach(1...100, id: \.self) { index in
                            Text("Item \(index)")
                                .frame(height: 60)
                                .id(index)
                        }
                    }
                }
                .onChange(of: scrollTarget) { target in
                    if let target = target {
                        proxy.scrollTo(target, anchor: .center)
                        scrollTarget = nil
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Why This is a Best Practice

Separating scroll triggers from the ScrollViewReader logic creates cleaner, more predictable code. The animation wrapper ensures smooth user experience, while resetting the trigger state prevents bugs when the same target is selected multiple times.

struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var scrollTarget: Int?
    
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Button("Scroll to Item 50") {
                withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.8)) {
                    scrollTarget = 50
                }
            }
            
            ScrollViewReader { proxy in
                ScrollView {
                    LazyVStack {
                        ForEach(1...100, id: \.self) { index in
                            Text("Item \(index)")
                                .frame(height: 60)
                                .id(index)
                        }
                    }
                }
                .onChange(of: scrollTarget) { target in
                    if let target = target {
                        proxy.scrollTo(target, anchor: .center)
                        scrollTarget = nil
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Why This is a Best Practice

History

SwiftUI ScrollViewReader: Programmatic Scroll Control Made Simple

Why This is a Best Practice